By Megan Melone
Photography by McKendree Athletics
Scores retrieved from McKendree Athletics
It was a busy weekend for McKendree Athletics as several teams began their 2024 season!
Women’s Soccer
Women’s soccer opened their season with a win against the University of Alabama Huntsville at Charger Park with a goal by Lena Higgins, a senior forward for McKendree. Maicy Mueller, a junior goalkeeper, made several saves throughout the game defending McKendree’s goal, aiding the win and making for a great debut, as it was her very first collegiate match. The final score was 1-0, adding another notch to McKendree’s winning history against Alabama Huntsville: 3-0-0. The women’s soccer team also won again against Montevallo University with a final score of 3-2.
Men’s Soccer
Men’s soccer also opened their 2024 season with a win. The Bearcats faced Southern Nazarene University at the Wanda Rhodes Soccer Complex in Bethany, Oklahoma. Freshman Philipp Muehlhans made his collegiate soccer debut with the winning goal in the first half. Sophomore goalie Christian Herluf aided the victory with three saves. The final score was 1-0 with McKendree protecting their winning record against SNU: 2-0-0. The men’s soccer team also won against Roger’s State University with a score of 4-2.
Football
Bearcat football season is here! McKendree played their first game away at Pen Air Field in Pensacola against the University of West Florida. The Bearcats suffered a devastating loss against the Argonauts with a final score of 38-6. McKendree’s Eddie Clark, a redshirt sophomore, scored the solo touchdown with a 3-yard run-in. McKendree football will play next at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri on September 14th with a 7:00 pm kickoff.
Women’s Volleyball
McKendree women’s volleyball faced three other universities for their opening weekend at the Reddie-Tiger Invitational in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. On Friday, the Bearcats first faced St. Mary’s University from San Antonio and saw a 3-2 loss against the STMU Rattlers. They later faced Henderson State University with a 3-0 loss. But on Saturday, the Bearcats got the win against Mississippi College with a final score of 3-0.
Men’s Cross Country
The men’s cross country team opened their season at the NIU Huskie Invite in Dekalb, Illinois. McKendree’s Blake Westrater placed 11th overall with a 4-mile run time of 21:46.94. The Bearcats placed 4th in the invite.
Women’s Cross Country
The women’s cross country team also competed at the NIU Huskie Invite. Sophomore Lydia Trump finished in 20th place with a finish time of 20:26.97. The women’s cross country team came in 5th overall. Both the cross country teams will compete next at Saint Louis University on September 21st.
The new head cross country coach, Seth Hardwick, had this to say: “Proud of the efforts of both of our men’s and women’s teams today. I think it’s a promising effort to start the season, and [I] am looking forward to carrying this momentum for the rest of the year.”
Men’s Water Polo
The men’s water polo team opened their season at Annapolis, Maryland. The Bearcats first faced Mount St. Mary’s University but ended with a loss of 18-14. The Bearcats then faced George Washington University and saw a loss of 21-11. Freshman Joshua Gibson contributed heavily to the Bearcats’ scoring with five goals in the second match. The Bearcats played again on Sunday against Johns Hopkins University but saw a loss of 17-14. The men’s water polo team will compete next at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex on September 14th at 2:00 pm.
Be on the lookout for more news following the fall 2024 season. Go Bearcats!
